


When Universes Collide

by alkalinePessimist



Category: Lucky! - Fandom
Genre: 5+1 Things, Angst, Chris help im starting to ship them whoops, Enemies to Friends, Gen, Loss of Limbs, Magic, Minor Character Death, Other, Rodents of Unusual Size - ROUS
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-25
Updated: 2019-12-07
Packaged: 2021-01-03 03:35:51
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,827
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21172763
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alkalinePessimist/pseuds/alkalinePessimist
Summary: 5 times Red bothered the Captain and 1 time the Captain bothered him right back.





	1. Enter: Rat (Stage Left)

It started like this.

  
The Captain sat on the bow of their ship. They tugged their sealskin tighter around them for warmth and gazed up at the pseudo stars twinkling in the sky, contemplating how long it might take to make it to the next port. Based on the current winds, only three more days along the coast until…

  
The Captain frowned. On the next outcropping cliff, a bright flash caught their eye.

  
“Captain!” the lookout, Lilias, called from her spot in the crows nest.

  
“I see it. Wake Khalid, I’m going to check on it.” They stood, grasping their staff tightly in one hand as Lilias scrambles down the ropes to follow commands. “If I haven’t returned by sunrise, come after me.” They pulled their skin over their shoulders, already feeling the warmth of the animal wash over them. They stepped off the side of the ship, letting the transformation take hold of their form, the skin morphing their body into a heavier beast. By the time they hit the water, they had been entirely transformed into a spotted seal.

  
This form allowed them to swiftly make their way over to the cliffs, and upon reaching them, they launched themself out of the water. Midair, they shifted back to human and grabbed their staff from their back, casting a Levitation Sigil under their feet, which launched them upward and left their stomach somewhere below.

  
They landed on top of the craggy rocks with a huff, skidding on the smooth sea beaten rock to slow their momentum. They steadied themself with their staff and raised their head to identify the source of light.

  
They’re expecting some sort of Wisp, or perhaps a straggling Mage in the aftermath of a spell gone wrong, but what they saw in the dark of the night was…

  
The creature they saw was what their mind could only imagine as a big pink Rat.

  
They eyed it up and down.

  
A very startled Rat at that.

  
They stepped closer to the being, who was looking at them with wide eyes, strange lace patterns rippling over its form, and the magic they sensed in the air around it almost sent them rearing back.

  
_This being was not from here._

  
A scowl stretched over their face and they straightened their posture, setting their staff slightly more forward. _A threat_.

  
“You are not welcome here. Taera does not see other dimensional visitors. Leave.”

  
The Rat didn’t seem to know what to do with itself. Hmm.

  
“I… was sent here by my superiors.” So it _can_ speak, and common tongue as well. Interesting.

  
“They sent you here specifically? For what?”

  
The Rat smiled sheepishly, like they weren’t used to explaining themself. “Ah, well, they didn’t send me _here_, really-”

  
The Captain waved their hand, making the fangs in the beings’ mouth snap as their jaw shut quickly. “Then you are in the wrong place. Taera is not a place for _any_ kind of visitors.” The being opened their mouth to contest them, but the Captain continued. “No. It is not safe for you _or_ us.” They pointed their staff at the being, letting a little magic flow through their arm into the weapon, giving the crystal at the end a slight glow. “Leave now, or I will make you.”

  
In the light of their staff, they could see the being was becoming less flustered and more irritated as they spoke, and at their final declaration stepped up into their space, towering over the Captain, letting their staff settle on a pink stomach.

  
“As long as there is a trail of stardust here, I have business here.”

  
The Captain huffed, meeting the being’s glowing red eyes. “I don’t care if you’re a _God_,” they tapped their staff on the stomach, “a _Celestial_,” another tap, “or a damned _Singularity_,” this tap was more of a hit, and the being started to grab for the weapon, “but _nobody_ has business on Taera.” They dug the staff in, scowling, letting the spell form where the crystal made contact. “Now **leave**.”

  
A Return Sigil formed on the pink beings’ torso, and in a bright flash and startled eyes meeting their own, the being was sent back to where it came from.

  
The Captain took a slow breath. It was done now, but perhaps they should ward this spot just in case. A weak point in the universe would only invite others through, after all.

  
They reached for the pouch of crushed bismuth on their belt and set to work, drawing the pattern of a Sealing Rune in the area the being had touched.  
A drop of blood sealed the ward, and with it, the Captains’ worries.

  
They wouldn’t be seeing that particular demon again, and perhaps it would help spread the word.


	2. The Tragic Backstory (At Least, Part of It)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Red catches the Captain at a Bad time.

_Rain came down hard, practically slapping the Captain in the face with every drop as the ship careened to one side. _

_“Captain”! Their First Mate, Khalid, called out to them. “We can’t win this fight, not with the storm! We have to pull back!”_

_They saw the fear lining her eyes, however… “If we retreat now, we'll lose the beast!” _

_She stepped closer to them, her gray dreadlocks whipping around her face in the wind. “If we die here, the Horrors will be left to invade these waters uncontested!” She shouted into their ear. “We mustn’t-" She was cut off as a flash if lightning illuminated the sky, highlighting a huge tentacle creeping over the side of the ship. _

_The Captain’s eyes widened. “Shit, look ou-" the tentacle came down hard, landing right where Khalid had been standing. _

_They opened their mouth to scream in horror, but nothing came out as the tentacle arose once again, this time red with the blood of their beloved, only to come crashing down toward them. _

The Captain awoke from their dream with their heart trying to frantically smash its way out of their chest. They put a hand to their face and tried to stop hyperventilating. _It was just a dream, BB._ They heard their lovers voice softly say in their mind. Their hand ran down their face in frustration.

_Don’t do anything drastic, focus on a distraction, something important, anything to distract themself, anything anything anything- _

They couldn’t stay on this wretched ship any longer.

_Check up on the wards again, yes, that’s a good idea, good job, Captain._

The Captain dressed quickly and sped out of their quarters, squinting at the bright light of day, but not slowing down, too worked up to notice that the crew had entirely frozen in their repairs of the ship at their appearance.

“Vega.” They called to the girl who was now their First Mate. “Inform Orrin I’m checking up on the Wards.”

Vega had no chance to respond before they’re striding swiftly down the gangplank and across the docks, disappearing into the crowd.

The sound of the vendors calling and the children laughing was a welcome distraction from the pit in their stomach as the Captain cut through the city. They didn’t have the frame of mind to respond to any heckling however, they made it a point to make a beeline for the forest to the west.

Turning off the road at the fourth bend, they weaved through the trees and tried to keep it together. _Don’t think about it. Focus on the Wards. They must not fail._

They startled when their foot hits the root of the giant Oak they were looking for, the shimmering Sealing Rune hovering at the base of the tree.

Checking the bismuth for any kind of wear or deterioration, they started when a light flashed behind them, a wave of otherworldly magic flowing into them, and they growled. They _remembered_ that Magic and they honestly _did **not**_ care for it. Whipping around, the Captain flung their arm out, using the magic that just hit them against the giant pink **_rat_** that had unceremoniously reappeared behind them. How _dare_ this beast show up again. What, they thought waiting a couple hundred years before trying again would get rid of them? What a fool.

They stalked up to the big pink _bastard_, fury in their eyes and Hold Sigil lighting up their face. “I see you did not understand the first warning. Leave or _die_. You will _not_ get a third chance.” They curled their hand into a loose fist, and the Sigil shrunk, causing the being to squirm in alarm, panic making their power to lash out and their body seemed to shake and triple itself before the sigil snapped it back into one. The Captain’s jaw set.

Their eyes met, and the Captain’s glower seemed to say something, because they received a stiff nod in reply.

They dropped their hand, letting the Sigil dissipate.

The being stood there, staring at them for a long moment, almost like they wanted to say something, but their expression turned to alarm as the Captain’s scowl deepened and they took a step forward, and finally decided to flash away.

The Captain let their shoulders sag, blinking spots out of their eyes from the light the rat had left behind. They felt something drop on their collarbone and startled, and when their hand found their cheek, it came back wet. Had they been crying this whole time?

They slid to their knees and curled in on themself, tears streaming down their face silently, and they lost time staring at the shimmering Sealing Rune.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Really putting that angst tag to use in this one huh 
> 
> Stay tuned for chapter 3, it's finished and I'm posting it right after this one!


	3. An Understanding

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you didn't catch it, this is a part 2 of a double update! Make sure you read the previous chapter as well!

Their next meeting was sooner than either of them expected.

The sound of pounding wood broke through the Captain’s slumber. Groaning, they cracked their eyelids open.

“Hmmmwhat?” Came the bleary mumble. The pounding became less frantic, but there was no verbal response. They groaned again, wedging their right arm under their body to sit up. A splash could be heard to their right, and when they looked over, they smiled at the little red head peeking up over the tank at them, a deep pang of guilt stuck in their chest at the sight. The Little One trilled at being acknowledged and splashed its tentacles again, and the Captain couldn’t help the rough chuckle that nearly caught in their throat. Clearing it, they called through the door, “Enter.”

Their First Mate, Kishi, opened the door to their quarters. “Captain.” He ducked his head, and they repressed the urge to roll their eyes. He had only been on a ship for about three months, and new crew members were always so stiff. They tried not to hold it against him, they hadn’t been in the best state of mind as of late. “I apologize for disturbing you, but, well… Orrin made contact.”

The Captain suddenly felt much more awake.

“What news?” They swung their legs over the side of their bed, studying Kishi’s expression as it grew more and more distraught at their movement. “What’s that face for?” The Captain grabbed their staff to help steady themself as they stood, the Little One trilling at them as they did so.

“You aren’t well, Captain, you should rest.” Kishi’s eyes lowered to their left side, where the blankets had fallen, revealing bandages spotted with red tied around what was left of their arm.

“I’m well enough to know what Orrin is up to,” said the Captain, keeping their irritation off their face. They weren’t about to fault their crew for worrying after them, it had been a concerning few weeks for them all. “Go on.” They prompted at Kishi’s hesitation.

Kishi chewed his lip for a moment before responding. “Orrin says he caught an interloper near the Horror’s gate.”

The Captain raised their eyebrows. “A Horror got through the gate? They’re getting bolder.” Orrin would have taken care of a stray Horror on his own easily enough, it wouldn’t explain why he would instantly report the encounter unless there was some sort of deviation or injury involved.

As expected, Kishi was already shaking his head. “Not a Horror, Captain. He’s describing it as a… demon? A figure with pink skin and lace-y patterns.”

…Okay, not as expected. A pink demon? Their eyes widened, and they took a wobbly step forward, ignoring Kishi’s noise of distress, instead leaning heavily on their staff as they continued toward the door.

“He said it was near the gate? When did this happen? Where is he?”

“Captain, please-”

They went to wave Kishi off but hissed in pain as all that came from the action was their stump of an arm shifting. They settled for a tight smile. He did not look reassured. “I think I know who this mystery demon is, I’ll have to see with my own eyes. Where’s Orrin?”

Kishi wavered for another moment before sighing in defeat. “He’s on deck. At least let me help you out there? Please Captain.”

They relented, adjusting themself as Kishi ducked under their right arm and allowed them to lean on him.

As they made their way out on deck, chatter died down and gasps rang out among the crew as they caught sight of their wounded leader. The Captain leaned their hip on the rail and looked out over the crowd gathered around Orrin and the rat, who were both towering over everyone.

They looked on at the being. In the sunlight and with a clear head, they had to concede that the being's form looked much less Rat-Like than they had initially assumed. They were looking back at them with something akin to alarm on their face, and the Captain felt a wave of guilt wash over them. The last time they saw each other, the Captain had nearly killed them in a fit of grief-stricken rage.

Not their best moment.

They cleared their throat. “I don’t think I ever caught your references, trespasser.”

The rat looked at them incredulously, and there were even more gasps from the crowd as they all turned back and forth between the two. Orrin shot them a confused look that said; _You recognize this mongrel?_ All right, yes, not the best opener after their last interaction, but they couldn’t take it back now.

The silence grew as the interloper seemingly couldn’t find the words to describe themself. Hmm. “All right, then. I’ll go first.” Orrin narrowed his slitted purple eyes suspiciously, but they ignored him for now. “I am Captain Raylan, Guardian of Taera, and you may refer to me as ‘they’. You are aboard my ship, _The Vagabond_, and the one who captured you this time is my good friend, Orrin, referred to as he, First Guardian of Taera.” They paused, then raised an eyebrow at the pink one.

The being looked up at Orrin, who simply bowed his head slightly, his horns casting shadows over the pink face. Taking the cue, they responded. “I’m called Red, Watcher, and you can refer to me as, uh he/they?”

The Captain looked him up and down. “Red, huh?”

“…Yes.”

“All right then, Red. What-” they stop, themself mid-sentence and lean forward, Kishi scrambling to keep them balanced. “What is that on your neck?”

Red blinked at them, and Orrin ducked his head to look as well. “They’re gills, Ray.” Orrin said, confusion written on his face. “Kishi told you I found him by the Horror’s gate, didn’t he?”

The Captain nodded slowly. “He did, however, Red, you did not have gills before.” They watch as Red shifted under their scrutiny. “What exactly _are_ you?”

“I’m a shifter.” He told them.

Hmm.

“A new kind of shifter then? Perhaps travelling from a different dimension, given that this time you came through by way of a Gate rather than simply appearing. I’ve come across a couple different types of shifters in my time, but nothing quite like you.” They watched as Reds’ neck glowed for a moment, and once the glow died down, they could see the slits had disappeared.

“Yeah, something like that.”

He’s being cagey, and they doubted they’d be getting anywhere if this continued. Time for a topic change. “Well, then. Let’s get down to business. What brings you back here so soon?”

Red’s face turned apologetic. “I actually didn’t mean to, this time. I came through the “gate” as you call it without much of a choice, those creatures on the other side were ready to eat me alive.” He side eyed Orrin, who was still holding his arm. “I almost thought I’d have the same problem on this side before this one started with talking rather than teeth.”

Orrin evidently took this statement as a cue to bare his teeth at him. Red barred his teeth back.

The Captain sighed. “All right, that’s enough. Orrin, let him go. This was a misunderstanding, let’s send him on his way.” They managed to straighten their posture. “And Red.” The Pink Wonder looked up at them. “Please let this be the _last_ time I’m kicking you off my planet, all right?”

Red winced. “I make no promises.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Extra long to make up for the wait and extra teasing to make up for the sad! I love teasing Red, he just makes it so easy


End file.
